Abdominal wall and inguinal hernias

For types of hernia in which minimally invasive repair is not appropriate or not possible, we perform all modern surgical methods at our department. As a rule, we use a synthetic mesh for this. Only in the case of small umbilical hernias, which we repair with an ideal cosmetic result through a scar directly in the navel, can we dispense with inserting a synthetic mesh. For the conventional repair of inguinal hernias, we use the "Lichtenstein" method; this procedure can also be performed under local anaesthesia. When repairing incisional and abdominal wall hernias, the synthetic mesh is inserted between the layers of the abdominal wall. For extensive incisional hernias with a large abdominal wall defect, we use the so-called "separation technique", in which the straight abdominal muscles (rectus muscles), which have shifted to the sides, are used to cover the abdominal wall defect by means of a sliding technique. As a rule, we also use a synthetic mesh with this technique for optimal reinforcement of the abdominal wall.